Much to my dismay, dermatologists, estheticians, and apologetic Sephora sales associates have all confirmed that I have dry skin.
Over the years, I’ve curated a skin-care routine that works for me, choosing products that cleanse without overdrying and that provide serious hydration at every other step. But finding the right sunscreen was a struggle. Formulas were often far too oily, which led to annoying breakouts, or they had an unpleasant matte texture, which made the problem worse.
But then one day about two years ago, as I scrolled through Instagram, I stumbled across a beauty writer I admire raving about Supergoop’s Every. Single. Face. Watery Lotion. Starved for a suitable sunscreen for my thirsty face, I impulsively added it to my cart. Little did I know this Instagram buy would turn out to be my holy grail sunscreen—and it’s been a staple in my skin-care routine ever since.
Staff pick
This broad-spectrum, SPF 50 sunscreen is hydrating without being oily or greasy.
This wasn’t my first time trying a sunscreen from Supergoop. I had tried the company’s beloved Unseen Sunscreen. Yet, despite rave reviews from friends (and even my own Wirecutter colleagues), it let me down. The clear gel formula was drying, and the matte texture was off-putting. Also, despite many positive reviews lauding Unseen as a great primer, it never sat well under my tinted moisturizer of choice.
Every. Single. Face. Watery Lotion, on the other hand, is super-hydrating, and it soaks into my skin. It’s also the perfect primer for the dewy, glazed-donut-style look I’ve spent more time and money than I’d care to admit trying to create. For me, this sunscreen checks all of the boxes. It’s hydrating without being oily or greasy, it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and protected, and it complements the other products in my morning skin-care routine.
The only thing it’s not is cheap. But for me, it’s money well spent. After all, this is the only face I’m going to get, so I might as well take care of it. I’ve also found that a 1.7-ounce bottle lasts a surprisingly long time. I typically get about three months out of a bottle, and I use this stuff every single day. (It’s also slightly less expensive than the Unseen Sunscreen.) Every. Single. Face. Watery Lotion is a broad-spectrum, SPF 50 sunscreen, which gives me peace of mind when I’m outdoors. But even if I know I won’t be leaving the house, I put it on religiously each morning.
Although I love this sunscreen, allow me to warn you that Supergoop is not messing around with the “watery lotion” descriptor in the product’s name. This stuff is watery. Which, I’ll admit, is not a consistency everyone’s going to be thrilled with. If you’re anti-shine, team matte, or someone who keeps blotting sheets on hand, this is probably not the sunscreen for you. But my dry skin eats this formula up.
With a gentle squeeze of the bottle, this sunscreen pours easily (maybe too easily) out of the narrow top into a puddle in the palm of my hand. Usually, I aim for roughly a quarter-sized amount to generously cover my face and neck. However, if I accidentally dispense a little more product into my hand than I intend to (which happens fairly often), I apply any excess product to my forearms. Granted, it’s not the cheapest sunscreen in the world, so I try to avoid squeezing the bottle with too heavy a hand.
According to the product label, it’s sweat-resistant for up to 40 minutes, which I’ve anecdotally found to be true. Last year, I got very into running, and I wore this sunscreen (paired with a baseball cap) on several 45-minute and hour-long runs, getting very sweaty in the process. Although I’m not running for quite as long these days, I still put this sunscreen on right before I head out on a run, and it always does its job.
And while I know (I know) this sunscreen can’t magically turn my skin into Hailey Bieber’s glazed complexion, it does get me just that much closer to the dewy, hydrated skin I’ve coveted since I used to hover around Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown makeup counters in high school. Now if only I could go back in time and tell my younger self to start wearing sunscreen sooner. Then maybe I wouldn’t be on the search for a good vitamin C serum, too.
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
